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Hurricane Rebekah (2019) (Sebastian's Version)
Hurricane Rebekah 'was a long-lived, costly, and deadly storm and made a major hurricane landfall over Florida. It was the twenty-first depression, seventeenth named storm, and thirteenth hurricane and major hurricane of the 2019 Hypothetical Atlantic Hurricane Season, developing in the Bay of Campeche in the end of March and going on to strike the US Gulf Coast and the Southeastern United States. Rebekah's precursor developed into a tropical depression on March 28th, in the Bay of Campeche. It then made its first landfall over Campeche on the same day as a tropical depression and began to curve north after landfall. It strengthened to a tropical storm on March 29th and was given the next name on the list, Rebekah. It then curved back northeast and then on April 2nd at 06:00 UTC, it strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane then rapidly strengthened into a Category 2 after 6 hours. At that point, it started to develop a clear eye. The next day, April 3rd Rebekah intensified even further into a Category 3 and into a Category 4 on April 4th. On the same day at 09:15 UTC, STCC Atlantic reported that Rebekah reached its peak intensity. Then, it underwent an eyewall replacement cycle, causing it to weaken to a Category 3 on April 5th at 18:00 UTC. It then redeveloped a bigger and clear eye. Then, on April 6th at 14:25 UTC, STCC Atlantic reported that Rebekah made its final landfall over the Florida Panhandle as a Category 3 major hurricane. Despite landfall, it didn't lose its eye due to the brown ocean effect. On April 7th, it was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane. During that time, its eye became cloud-filled but weakening was slow and on April 8th, it weakened to a Category 1 hurricane. Its eye then completely dissipated as it weakened to a tropical storm on April 9th and to a tropical depression on April 10th. It degenerated into a remnant low on April 11th and dissipated at 18:00 UTC. It hit Mexico and the Southeastern United States, causing flash floods and landslides in Mexico which caused devastating damage in the areas it passed near. Its impacts were felt hard in Mexico but much worse in the US Gulf Coast, especially Florida where the areas surrounding the landfall location were the worst impacted by the storm, from Pensacola to Tallahassee, with a massive storm surge of 4.32 meters (14.17 feet) in Apalachee Bay, Florida. It brought 120 mph (195 km/h) winds and 23 inches (584.2 mm) of rainfall in the Florida Panhandle. It also caused rip currents in parts of Louisiana and Texas and torrential rainfall in Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, and the Carolinas which caused major flooding and also summoned 120 confirmed tornadoes inland. Rebekah caused 75 deaths; 65 in the United States and another 10 in Mexico. It caused $1.23 billion (2019 USD) in damage, which notes that it is worthy for retirement. Meteorological History 'Origins On March 23, STCC Atlantic noted that an area of disturbed weather formed and was expected to develop into a tropical depression in a few days but before that curved east then northeast due to a nearby ridge, forcing it to change its track from west to east. The area of disturbed weather began to stall as it neared the Mexican coastline in the Bay of Campeche due to weak steering currents but despite this, it gained more organization and then on March 25, STCC Atlantic gave it a medium chance of formation. Then, it began to curve east and then on March 27, STCC Atlantic gave it a high chance of formation and began to monitor on the disturbance as it organized even more. 'Formation, First Landfall, and Intensificaiton (Part 1)' On March 28 at 06:00 UTC, the area of disturbed weather developed into a tropical depression and then STCC Atlantic designated it Tropical Depression Twenty-one, becoming the twenty-first depression of the season, as it had a clearly defined circulation. The system then made its first landfall over Campeche City, Campeche as a tropical depression with 1-minute winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 1000 mbars. The system then slowed its movement and then moved north. It began to weaken slightly after landfall but as it emerged into the Gulf of Mexico, it began to strengthen and organize and then on March 29 at 12:00 UTC, a reconnaisance aircraft deployed by STCC Atlantic noted that 21L had gained tropical storm force winds and was upgraded to a tropical storm and was named Rebekah, becoming the seventeenth named storm of the season. It continued to track north then began to change course and turn northeast due to an interaction with a frontal system. Rebekah's intensification slowed due to moderate wind shear of 20 knots. 'Intensification (Part 2) and Peak Intensity' Wind shear then decreased as it continued northeast and sea surface temperatures began to increase and then on April 2 at 12:00 UTC, STCC Atlantic noted that a reconnaisance aircraft reported hurricane force winds, forcing them to upgrade Rebekah to a Category 1 hurricane, becoming the thirteenth hurricane of the season. It intensified even further into a Category 2 hurricane after 6 hours. At that point, it begand developing a clear eye. Then, on April 3 at 18:00 UTC, Rebekah intensified even further to a Category 3 major hurricane, becoming the thirteenth major hurricane of the season. It's eye started to enlarge slightly as intensification continued and then on April 4 at 06:00 UTC, Rebekah had intensified to a Category 4 major hurricane according to STCC Atlantic. A few hours after reaching Category 4 strength, Rebekah reached its peak intensity. 'Eyewall Replacement Cycle, Final Landfall, Weakening, and Dissipation' STCC Atlantic expected Rebekah to reach its peak intensity as a high-end Category 4 major hurricane and make landfall over the Florida Panhandle near Apalachee Bay, Florida at that intensity. However, it intiated an eyewall replacement cycle earlier than expected and then on April 5 at 18:00 UTC, it weakened to a Category 3 major hurricane. STCC Atlantic expected it to maintain its intensity all the way up to landfall in Florida due to increasing wind shear and upwelling caused by the storm. Rebekah's structure then organized slightly before making landfall and its wind field expanded. Then, on April 6 at 14:25 UTC, STCC Atlantic reported that Rebekah made its final landfall over Apalachicola, Florida with 1-minute winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 948 mbars. It then weakened after making landfall to a Category 2 hurricane on April 7 at 00:00 UTC, losing major hurricane strength according to STCC Atlantic. After weakening to a Category 2, it changed course by moving east-northeast. Rebekah's eye started becoming cloud-filled and then about 10 hours later, the eye completely dissipated due to land interaction. Then, on April 8 at 12:00 UTC, STCC Atlantic downgraded Rebekah to a Category 1 hurricane as areas over the strongest winds as people reported that Category 2 winds were no longer experienced between 06:00-12:00 UTC. It still continued east-northeast as a slowly weakening Category 1 hurricane until April 10 at 00:00 UTC, when it weakened to a tropical storm. Rebekah's weakening rate increased drastically and after 12 hours passed, STCC Atlantic reported that its convection started to rapidly dissipate, forcing the agency to downgrade Rebekah to a tropical depression and it degenerated into a remant low after another 12 hours passed as its convection rapidly dissipated. The remnants of Rebekah continued east-northeast then turned northeast and then dissipated on April 11 at 18:00 UTC. Preparations 'Mexico' On March 23 at 12:00 UTC, SNWC Mexico issued flash floods watch for parts of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco, and the Yucatan Peninsula. It was upgraded to flash flood warning after 24 hours in southern Veracruz, northern Oaxaca, northern Chiapas, Tabasco, and the Yucatan Peninsula. Mexico's meteorological agency. SMN, expected the system to develop into a tropical depression and make landfall over Campeche as a tropical depression and intensify into a tropical storm after moving offshore. The President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, ordered people in the areas in flash flood warning to evacuate their homes and stay in high ground on March 24 at 01:30 UTC. SNWC Mexico also stated that mountainous areas could receive 4-5 inches (101.6-152.4 mm) while low-lying areas could received 2.5-3 inches (68.5-76.2 mm). During the torrential rainfall, evacuations were then cancelled on March 27 a 07:55 UTC due to the torrential rainfall and uncomfortable conditions seen in the low-lying and mountainous areas. 'Gulf Coast of the United States' 'Florida' On April 3 at 06:00 UTC, a tropical storm watch was issued from Destin all the way to Port St. Joe. On that same day, Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, ordered people to evacuate their homes as the storm could pass near and cause widespread damage in the next few days. Watches extended all the way to Perdido Key. After 18 hours, SNWC issued a tropical storm warning for Santa Rosa Island all the way to Rosemary Beach. This caused more evacuations and more chaos before the storm. Tropical storm watches extended all the way up to Homosassa as it moved nearer. SNWC then issued a storm surge watch for Panama City Beach to Apalachicola on April 4 at 06:00 UTC as Rebekah moved closer towards Florida. The tropical storm warning then extended until Perdido Key and Alligator Point while the watch extended to Hudson. The storm surge watch extended until Miramar Beach to Horseshoe Beach. A hurricane watch was then issued on April 5 at 12:00 UTC for Mexico Beach to Fish Creek, as tropical storm conditions were already experienced. The watch still remained in the same area. On the same hour, a storm surge warning was then issued for Panama City Beach to Port St. Joe. The hurricane Category:Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes Category:Atlantic hurricanes Category:Florida landfalls Category:Underconstruction articles